


Love Is A Seasonal Affair

by surrealism



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Class Issues, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Princes & Princesses, Victorian Attitudes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:07:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28975581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surrealism/pseuds/surrealism
Summary: As a prince of Flevance, Law knew that there were only so many things that he had control over. Duties, politics, and convenient relationships were a constant in his life just like the order of the seasons.Still, much like snow in the summer (or a strange teen at his side), he should expect the unexpected.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24





	Love Is A Seasonal Affair

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. So. This was mainly brought on by watching Bridgerton. I love a lil historical romance and I think they're kind of cute. After a few hours of brainstorming with some fellows on a discord server I'm in (hi to anyone from there reading this!), I decided to sit down and write it out. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy and are excited to see where it goes. I know I am.

“Your highness, it’s time to get up.”

The words came at the same time every day – early morning, right when the sun had stretched its arms into the bed and illuminated the large bedroom. Outside of the stone walls, the sounds of birds chirping sunk in through the arched windows and into the high ceilings while colors of white and blue came into view. The canopies matched the intricate carpet and curtains that did little to shield the sleeping figure.

“Please, it’s imperative your day starts on time.”

The signs of the world waking up outside seemed just as regular an occurrence as the valet standing next to the bed, twiddling fingers as he waited. Taking in the light, it made the man in the bed wonder why someone was needed at all.

But his day was not one he got to own. This he knew too well.

He stirred under the fabric, small groans escaping the plush blankets as they were pulled backwards by another set of hands.

“Good morning, sir. Your bath has been prepared and is being kept warm. I will be waiting here with your clothes when you are finished. Would you prefer Earl Grey or Green tea with your morning newspaper? Your father has asked that you be ready by 8 o’clock as you have three appointments before 2 –”

All at once, the responsibilities piled on as let himself be ushered to the mirror. Looking at his reflection – grey eyes bleary and dark against his tanned skin, unkempt black hair sitting neatly over his pierced ears with facial hair to match – he wondered at all how he was supposed to be a shining beacon of royalty. 

“Yes, thank you Victor. Earl Grey will do. I don’t need your help getting dressed, you’re dismissed.” He muttered, rubbing his eyes as feet dragged across the expansive room. Each footstep was echoed in tandem with another eager set, the other man following close behind.

“Thank you, sir. But your father has asked that I stick around to make sure you’re not giving up all of your earthly possessions.”

The statement was delivered with a nervous laugh, a signal of the valet not giving up much to the prince’s chagrin.

“Understood. And when do we get to drop the honorifics?” The taller man asked, opening large walnut doors that opened into an equally vast hallway.

“We don’t. Erm – that’s non-negotiable, it seems.”

He grimaced. Another person willing to go along with his father’s stubbornness was already one too many. Walking through the hallways, it was a race to get to the bathroom before any other servants would ask to do unnecessary things. He kept his head upwards in a blatant attempt to ignore the man looking at him for more orders.

“Be careful, Law!”

A choked noise rang out as Law was pulled to the side, small hands wrapping around his wrist as the prince narrowly missed a table placed perfectly in his way. His body nearly collide with the hallway windows from the momentum, the floor to ceiling height giving a view of the vast courtyard below.

He briefly considered falling into it.

Still, such things might attract more servants to his side. Once he managed to get his footing, Law found himself cornered by dark brown eyes that only matched in intensity to his fathers.

“Lami –”

“You’re going to hurt yourself walking like that! Goodness, you’re lucky I was here.” The young woman’s eyes met his as she chastised, her long brown hair bouncing with every puff of her chest. She was dwarfed by his six foot three frame – her head only coming up to his collarbone – yet even the princess still made him feel small like this.

“Your highness, you’re not meant to be up for another hour. Please, a lady should be well rested if she’s going to find –”

The valet was cut short as such an intense stare was on the servant, eyes narrowing in thought as she loosened her grip on the older sibling.

“Find what? I’m twenty years old, Victor. I think I have another year to catch up on my sleep before we talk of spinsterhood.”

Law huffed in an attempt to conceal his amusement as his sister’s casual insults. Lami’s wit was something to be both admired and feared. Headstrong and intelligent, it wasn’t a surprise that the two of them got along just as much as they butted heads.

“And you,” The feeling went quickly as she turned her attention to him, “Stop terrorizing the servants. At least for today. Father wouldn’t ask them to help you if it were any other time, you know this.”

There was a sigh of resignation from Law as her face changed to a pleading expression, eyes big and soft as they wore him down. Having their mother’s kind face and their father’s stubbornness meant Lami was a handful from the day she was born.

“Yes, you’re right.” Law turned back to the Valet who was standing straight up now, waiting nervously for the prince’s next words. “Victor go lay out my clothes for today. I trust you’ll pick something fitting for the events. I expect it to be ready when I’m out of the bath along with my tea.”

He spoke firmly, his tone dripping with the aristocratic cadence that everyone had wanted from him. Law watched as the man nodded quickly, his face relaxed as he heard the familiar string of demands. Everything about the exchange only drew more lines of Law’s status, one that rose on the pedestal he was meant to look down on.

An uncomfortable yet necessary evil, it seemed.

Law looked to the woman whose lips were curled upwards in triumph, hands releasing him as he managed to play the game for one more day.

“Good. Now, I’d like to shake off the title of the only approachable Trafalgar heir tonight. Our parents are hoping something – or some _one_ – comes of this party so please, be nice. For me.”

Lami turned on her heels to go back down the hallway, the lack of a maid at her side a small display of hypocrisy to the attachment to their rigid lifestyle. Despite her brash attitude, she still was a princess who wanted to uphold the expectations set before her.

And it was one of Law’s duties to help her with that, after all.

Walking into the bathroom, Law took in the warm steam as he disrobed and placed his clothes on the rack. Bathing was one of the few times he got to be alone and he intended on making the most of every second. As he sunk into the water slowly, the sounds of water echoing in the space, Law let his mind wander freely while he prepared for his day.

\----

Law let his body fall deeper into the plush seating of the armchair, the maroon color a sharp contrast to his black coat and white dress shirt tucked underneath. From where his chair sat by the window, the view of the courtyard was even more expansive – shrubs and flowers sat around a much larger space of grass that the workers crossed with various tools and supplies.

Some for the party, others for regular estate care. He watched as tables were placed carefully along the area – ones meant to be filled with drinks, food, and faces he didn’t care to learn.

“Are you going to be gracing us with your presence this evening, your highness?”

He could feel the eyes on him as he looked towards the voice, an older man sitting across from him with a sly smile playing on his lips. His glasses sat low on the bridge of his nose, grey ponytail hanging above his broad shoulders as he picked up the saucer. The man was on his second of their long meeting and it was the marker by which Law was measuring the time.

Usually after his third, things would settle down considerably.

“Well, Sir Rayleigh. I thought I would get to go back and read my books but,” Law paused as leaned against the table, “The Season demands that I be out on display.”

There was a hearty chuckle from the other side, the joke lost on the prince as he spoke truthfully. The Season was a detestable time in Flevance, and Law made no secret of how little he wanted to participate. Beginning in April would be four months of constant socializing – garden parties, balls, theatre shows, and the like that ate up his time like no other. If it were up to him, he would throw off his title if it meant he didn’t have to suck up to the other aristocrats.

Rubbing shoulders with pompous airheads left a sour taste in his mouth. Behind him, the servants had erupted into conversation at the mere mention of the social events to come.

“Well, you are THE lone son of the Trafalgar family. It’s any wonder that the people would like to see you come out of your hibernation once in a while.”

Law could hear the whispers of jokes at his expense. It was true that this was the only time anyone could convince him to come out, the winter preferable due to the heavy snows that Flevance was known for. Even now, as the days bled into the middle of May, he couldn’t count on hands and toes how many stuffy ballrooms he had seen.

The older man was already finished with his cup of tea, working on a third as Law glanced at the clock behind him. It was 5 pm and the party was to begin in three hours, just enough time for him to return a letter or two before he could rest. Taking a sip, Rayleigh continued with a serious look at the younger man.

“Besides, time is of the essence if you’re to continue said family name. The king won’t be around forever.”

Law tried his best to not roll his eyes at this statement. Of course, The Season was a time of socialization for him and other important members of the kingdom. But it was also a time for courtship – one that he found far more unnecessary than anything else. He was a prince after all, of course anyone would want to marry him. Such ties were advantageous to any kingdom who could prove their worth.

Romance felt unnecessary when he would just be sold to the highest bidder.

“Well, he’s not on death’s doorstep and luckily, Flevance has incredible medical care if it comes to that. I’m grateful for the extra padding, really.” Law swallowed down his cynicism for a moment to return a backhanded quip. Rayleigh’s smile faded – the joke taken seriously in a response that made Law think everyone found his misery funnier.

“It would certainly be better for you to at least try this year. Impatience is an ugly color on your mother, and she wears it every day.”

With that, Rayleigh put his cup down as Law realized the entire point of this meeting with one of his father’s closest friends and confidant. Of course, he wasn’t going into yet another talk with the assumption that it would be of nothing but the constant reminders were a drag on his mind.

“Of course.” Law replied, clipped and serious in a tone that betrayed the resigned smile on his face. As Rayleigh and the others left, he sunk back into the armchair as the party preparations continued below.

At least it was something he could control.

\-----

Law frowned as he caught his reflection in the mirror.

The decision to leave his outfit up to the Valet was a bigger regret now than when Lami had strong armed him into it. Over his shoulders sat a yellow jacket, gold embroidery in spots that caught the light best no matter where he stood. It was paired with black slacks, a white dress shirt, and a gold bowtie in choices that made Law think he was meant to be a beacon in the middle of the courtyard.

Something shiny for every magpie to follow all night.

There was a proud huff from Victor as he straightened Law’s tie, stepping aside so Law could admire his outfit. He ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to get his unruly locks to match the pristine look. Seeing himself be dressed up for show already brought exhaustion to the forefront of his mind.

“Let’s get this over with.” He said, shuffling uncomfortably before he heard the sounds of the bedroom door open behind them.

Lami stood in the doorway, hair pinned backwards and curled without a lock out of place. She was wearing a matching outfit of a gold dress with a white shoulder cape, intricate lace meant to highlight the flowers pinned in her hair. The woman stared at Law for a moment before turning her attention to the valet who was still fussing carefully with Law’s blouse.

“Victor, can you give us a moment?” She asked, crossing the room slowly and taking a seat in one of the chairs set next to the mirror. Law could see the valet give her a look, concern peeling across his face as if worried what would happen if there’s a hair out of place.

“Erm – I think this looks fine, Victor. You’re dismissed, thank you for your help.” Law added, seeing the older man shift his eyes between the siblings before nodding and excusing himself. As soon as the door closed, Law let out a sigh of relief as his sister stifled a laugh at his relaxation.

“So, I see he went for a…” Lami started, trailing off as she walked towards his wardrobe, helping herself to the clothes inside.

“Coin caught in the light look? I agree.”

This time Lami let herself laugh out loud, the sight of her brother dressed up like a 100 Beri coin far too amusing and his confirmation only making it better. There was the sound of shuffling as the princess continued her search, a small gasp heard on the other side of the door before she closed it and walked to stand in front of him.

“What do you think of this then?” She asked, quickly unraveling the gold tie, and replacing it with a black strip. As Lami tied his bowtie, Law could see the thoughts working in her mind as he watched from the mirror.

“So –”

“Here you go. Something a bit less shiny, hm?” She mused, turning him to the mirror so he could see her handiwork.

It was a welcome change from the original look. Even if it didn’t help the overall brightness, Law was grateful all the same. There was a lull in the conversation as Lami smiled at him, taking in a deep breath as they looked at their reflections.

“Thank you, it does look better.” Law began, tugging lightly on the collar of his shirt.

“I know you hate these parties,” Lami cut in, the reasons for their impromptu pre-party meeting revealing themselves, “But, I think tonight will be different. Fun even. Your friends are going to be there, after all. I know how much easier things go when those three are around.”

Law nodded as he thought of it. He didn’t make many friends in Flevance, most people who bothered to get close to him always seemed to be hoping for some kind of trade off. Those kinds of interactions only increased his guard at these get togethers. Being able to talk to those three – despite having their lord titles through sheer chance – did make him relax if only a little.

“And besides, our parents haven’t exactly been subtle about their attempts to marry one of us off. The least you can do is help my chances to get them off of your back.”

Lami put her hands on her hips, smiling playfully at Law in a way that actually had him smirking a bit. If anyone could understand the kinds of pressures of being a royal, it was his little sister. She knew they were children that he hated parading around these soirees, and she made it her mission to help him get through. It was a feature of their relationship he was thankful for most days.

“I’ll do my best.”

Law straightened the cuffs of his shirt in one last stalling technique before they were to go out. The sounds of the band could be heard outside of his window and Law wondered how long the festivities would drag on.

\-----

“So, tell me your highness, what brings you to this wonderous affair?”

Law took a sip from his champagne flute as the voice drawled at his side, tone pompous as the day was long and urging him to react.

“Oh now, does the prince not DARE interact with us lowly lords? A shame, really.”

They were laying it on thick and he refused to get caught up in the little game.

“And even when we brought him such interesting books.”

He rose an eyebrow as a dark green spine came into view, the gold trim equally as bright as the coat draped over his shoulders.

“Penguin, when are you going to stop that? Everyone treats me like I’m some untouchable good, I can’t have it from my best friends either.” Law grumbled, taking the book in a sign of defeat to their teasing.

Penguin chuckled warmly as his gift was received, curly black hair poking neatly from underneath his bowler hat sitting low on his forehead.

“I’m sorry Law, it’s just so hard to see you dressed like…” Another man added, red hair poking from a top hat that still made his height pale in comparison to Law’s own.

“An actual royal, Shachi?” A third voice finished, and the men in hats nodded and shrugged in Law’s general direction.

“Well, Bepo, I’ll have you know that I look less like a royal and more like a sunflower. So, I think I’ve avoided that so far.”

Bepo laughed at the retort, a white ponytail strung over his shoulder that outshone even Law’s own brightly colored jacket.

The three men stood in a small circle around Law, guarding him carefully against the others in the courtyard while they talked. It was their usual routine when they all managed to be at a party like this. His gave him cover so that he could observe from the sidelines and see the signs of someone preparing to approach.

As Law looked around the area, it was obvious the servants had been working tirelessly all evening. The courtyard was lit from end to end with string lights, illuminating hedges that now held white and gold flowers on the outside. Across from where they stood, tables of refreshments sat behind groups of women who he was trying desperately to avoid eye contact with.

Not until he needed to, anyways. Law tried to focus on the conversation amongst his friends, the idle chatter and music on the dance floor to his left drowning it out effortlessly.

“Oh, it looks like someone is dancing with Lami.” Penguin remarked, a knowing glance shot at Law who was already watching the gold fabric sway against the red brick.

The man she was with was someone that Law hadn’t seen before, new suitors showing up became a regular experience for him as his sister got older. The man had long pink hair tied back into a half-updo that played nicely with his completely white outfit, a large scar on his forehead the only thing that felt out of place.

He seemed nice enough but looks weren’t everything.

Law broke from the group as his older sibling instinct jumped through, the need to investigate this man higher on his list than whatever joke Shachi had in mind. Law leaned against a pillar as he nursed the drink, watching the two of them waltz carefully amongst the other couples.

As the song ended, there was an exchange that Law could only see the aftermath of as Lami laughed and the man flushed pink from ear to ear. The fact that she asked him to not torment the servants paled in comparison to the outcome of her tormenting potential suitors. It seemed the fun was over as she caught her brother standing to the side, and Law’s presence only made the pink darken to red.

“Did you enjoy our dance? I think he was having fun.” Lami asked, a bounce in her step as she looked back at the thoroughly embarrassed man.

“What did you say to him? He looks like you just pulled his pants down on the dance floor.”

“Nothing, I just told him he was a good dance partner. It’s not my fault that my charms get everyone.” Lami tilted her head up as she said this, hand on her chest in a self-important flourish that made her answer all the more suspicious.

“Anyways,” Law began, finishing the now warm drink, “What’s his name?”

“Koby.”

Law narrowed his eyes at this.

“Of?”

“Alvida. I’m barely familiar with the country but it’s in the east so…warmer than Flevance, I imagine.”

“And where exactly does he stand in this…” Law waved his hand in a flimsy gesture, one he hoped filled in the all-important question.

“He’s a duke.” Lami supplied, carefully watching for the reaction as Law thought over the title.

It wasn’t that he cared about the title – anyone who cared enough to put up with Lami was fine in his book. But, their parents would need some convincing if it were anyone less than their own status.

“I see. Well, not a prince but I think –”

Law’s train of thought was interrupted as a loud crash rang through the courtyard, the sound of glass and metal coming together in quick succession. There were voices clamoring around them as the discord was sewn into the party, everyone gathered in the middle of the courtyard to see the chaos unfold.

“Hey, you there!”

“Stop right now!”

Law turned towards the sound in an attempt to see the commotion. Various exclamations could be heard among the increasing racket – gasps, curses, and shouting once a table fell to the ground. Law cursed as the group tightened, his ability to get a grip marred by the nosiness.

Standing at the edge of the crowd, he prepared himself to wade through before shrieks could be heard from women in front.

“Goodness!”

It was the last thing Law heard before there was wind at his side, the source of the commotion past him in an instant and going in the direction of the dancefloor. The exit did little to help the frenzy, people surrounding him now and making his chase impossible. The sounds rose to a fever pitch before they were cut through by a pained shout, one that Law could pick out above all else.

Lami.

Looking back, his sister was on the ground with her wrist in hand and it was all he needed to push through the crowd. A black head of hair was paused at the edge of the dancefloor behind her, hidden in the darkness before running off towards the estate.

“Lami! Are you okay?”

They were of course the object of everyone’s interest, footsteps echoing behind them as others were in pursuit of the stranger. Law took Lami’s arm carefully, a low hissing sound coming from the younger sibling.

“I’m – ah – fine, he just ran into me. I was too busy trying to see what happened and – ah – don’t worry. Probably just a sprain.”

Law grit his teeth in annoyance as he could tell Lami was trying to put on a show. There was swelling already apparent under the bracelet on her arm as she tried to downplay the injury. It made sense – some stranger breaking into a royal party AND severely injuring one of the royal family would be quite the scandal. There was a tinge of anger rising in his throat as he thought of what idiot would make his sister act in such a way, taking off his jacket to tie her arm in a makeshift sling.

“Hey!” He called out to his friends, the three of them just as tied up in seeing the commotion before reacting to his call and coming to the siblings.

“You know where my room is. I have something to properly fix the arm but,” Law was taking the bracelet off now, handing it to Penguin before standing, “Just take her there.”

“And what are you –”

The question got lost as Law had already abandoned his friends and sister, going in the direction of the house while his friends called out behind him. Law wasn’t sure what he would to do once he found the mysterious intruder, but his emotions were already running high.

Find him first, ask questions later.

\-----

The sounds of the band could be heard outside of the estate walls as Law walked into another empty study, listening carefully for any wayward shuffles before closing the door. He still hadn’t found this mystery person. It was a fact that had started to bother him more than the injury.

Though, both were competing for biggest annoyance in his mind.

His search had gone on long after the others had given up, presuming that the intruder had merely escaped out of the front door. How he hadn’t given up seemed to be answered by sheer willfulness. The idea that anyone could get away with hurting Lami without answering to him was a stain on his pride. One he wouldn’t take sitting down.

The fact that it let him avoid the party was a bonus.

Opening another door, Law found himself mere steps away from his bedroom. Returning to the quiet sanctuary seemed within reach and the temptation was strong. He weighed the outcome of a lecture from his parents against being asked more questions about his marriage plans, the former quickly winning as he opened the door.

“Law!”

Law got both feet inside of the door before he was surrounded by Shachi and Penguin, the men scrambling around him in their usual party circle.

“Aren’t you supposed to be looking for the party crasher?” Shachi asked, standing too close for comfort as Law pressed against the door.

“I was but,” the prince began, stepping to the side and humming in confusion when his friends mirrored his movements, “I couldn’t find him. I came back here to get another jacket.”

The other two laughed nervously. Suspicion mounted as Law thought of the task they had been given and the outcomes it would spell.

“Wait. Where is Lami?”

“I’m here, Law.” His sister spoke from the bed and Law let his shoulders relax.

“She’s fine. Actually, she just –”

“Look, she’s in good hands. We can have Bepo bring you a coat if you need to so please –”

His friends started to talk over one another as excuses compounded, the squirrely behavior doing the opposite of reassurance. It was behavior he had never quite seen of them before and what exactly they had to hide, in his room of all places, only made it stranger.

“When is that old lady supposed to be back with the food?”

Law’s eyebrows rose at the unfamiliar voice before it was overtaken by a panicked grunt coming from the bed. He could hear Bepo wrestling with the unfamiliar voice, his sister laughing in a quick reversal from her pained sighs moments ago.

“What is –”

It seemed none of the answers to his questions would come quickly as there was a knock at the door, Law opening it to find Lami’s lady’s maid standing before him. He watched as fingers tightened around the tray, an assortment of jerky and sandwiches spread across her apron.

“In here, Margaret.” Lami called back, the maid still frozen at the door in with Law before he stepped aside. He watched as Margaret walked back to his bed, quick apologies given in passing as the woman wrestled with whose orders to obey.

All of it didn’t matter to Law who was more confused than ever about the situation.

He followed her towards the bed as happy sighs could be heard between loud, messy chewing. Standing at the side of the bed, his friends expressions floated between defeat and curiosity at what Law would do upon seeing the unexpected guest.

“Omph! Hewoh!”

Law was greeted cheerfully by a sight that was the opposite. A young man sat cross legged on the floor, black hair sticking to his forehead in a mixture of sweat and dirt if the color of his skin was anything to go by. His clothes had the same matching black dull, tattered and loose on his shoulders as they were weighed down by the grime.

His anger and desire for cleanliness wrestled to see who could speak first as he turned to his sister.

“Lami –”

“Oh, your name is Lami? Thank you for the food! This is really good.”

Lami smiled at the filthy intruder, the juxtaposition of it with her arm still in his makeshift sling let the anger win.

“WHAT is he doing here?” Law asked, pointing at the person still stuffing their face with sandwiches he now recognized as the same ones served at the party. It was all the confirmation he needed.

“Law, you said you needed to properly fix my arm. It’s still in this sling, you know.”

Lami spoke calmly as if trying to not startle a sleeping infant, her eyebrows raised in a call for the older Trafalgar to go get his kit. There was a quiet moment of realization before Law huffed in defeat and turned. He could hear the conversation at his back as the sandwich thief watched him walk to the wardrobe. 

“Is he okay?”

“He’ll survive.”

Law sighed as he took out a brown leather briefcase, Lami’s words a slight wound to his pride. Coming back to the bed, he shot another glare at the stranger that was only returned with a wide-eyed look.

The insult fell on deaf ears, clearly.

“Your arm.” He demanded, hand out as Lami placed her arm in his palm with a spool of fabric in the other. Starting from the top, Law began to wrap while ignoring the curious stare he was getting from the floor. The two of them sat in silence as Law tried to calm down long enough to ask his first question.

“So, who exactly is he?”

“My name is Luffy! Nice to meet you.”

Law paused as the answer was given from below. The last person he wanted to speak was the same one who was making him do this procedure now. Luffy looked at him with a huge grin on his face, a sight that made it hard for Law to be angry. He wasn’t some monster who kicked puppies, after all.

“Luffy,” He went back to wrapping his sister’s injury, deciding that indirect conversation was probably best, “what are you doing here?”

“I smelled the food.”

“Food?”

“Yeah, I was starving.” Luffy whined, leaning back against Law’s side table as he sighed in relief, “I’ve been outside for days now.”

The loose clothing made a lot more sense to Law as he started one more layer around the wrist.

“So, you came here to eat? Okay, fine. That doesn’t explain why you needed to disrupt our event.”

“There was meat. All I’ve been eating for the past five days are apples, and that’s definitely not meat.” Luffy said simply, giving Law a look as if he was talking about something obvious. There was a soft giggle from Lami as she looked at him, the amusement barely contained as she watched the back and forth.

It was a look that knew something he didn’t. 

Not wanting to give his sister any more teasing material, Law took the opportunity to reach into the briefcase and take out two wooden splints. He placed them on either side of Lami’s wrist before turning to the three men watching uselessly from the side.

“Could one of you come hold this?”

Just as he asked, he saw Luffy start to stand and his medical side took over. The thought of anything dirtying up his hard work was too much.

“Not you.”

The expression he got was unexpected. A small frown poked through on Luffy’s face, brown eyes looking at him with a dejected air that immediately made him regret the harsh words. As Bepo crossed the bed to sit at his side, Law scrambled to find a way to make it right.

“Er – Luffy, you can watch. If you want.”

The offer seemed to cheer Luffy up, the shiny grin back on his face as he crawled to the edge of the bed and watched intently. Law couldn’t help but feel nervous that he had an audience, one that wanted to see his work at that, and he took to asking more questions to hide the internal turmoil.

“Do you have any family here? In Flevance, I mean.”

“No, I’m here by myself.”

It was in that answer Law got a knowing look from his sister, one that answered his other question about why she had even let the intruder stay in the first place.

“How old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

A little young to be running from home, but nothing Law hadn’t seen before in their previous workers. His mother had a soft spot for any wayward soul that ended up in their midst and they never had a shortage of work. So, for anyone who was willing to exchange labor for room and board, it was an easy place to be if chance worked in their favor.

For Luffy, it seemed like it did. After wrapping a piece of cloth around her shoulder, Law placed two pills into Lami’s palm and put the arm into the proper sling.

“You can come find me if you need more of those. But you should have Doctor Kureha actually look at it.”

“No need. I trust my big brother’s expertise.”

Law retreated quickly back to his wardrobe as the praise increased the warmth on his face. It wasn’t unusual for Lami to talk him up in front of strangers but doing it in front of Luffy felt different. The way he wore his emotions on his sleeve only told Law that he was likely getting some look of awe for being a knowledgeable royal.

Embarrassing didn’t begin to describe it. Closing the wardrobe door, Law decided to tackle the last hole in Lami’s brewing plot.

“What are you going to tell our parents? There’s no way they would let someone stay that hurt their daughter.”

“And that’s why you’ll keep it a secret.” Lami replied, giving the same pleading expression from this morning.

Law opened his mouth and the words died quickly as the other three people in the room started to give Law pitiful glances. It was so coincidental that Law was certain they had rehearsed it, the stowaway himself joining in on the peer pressure.

“Please?”

Finding no way out of the situation, Law buried his face into his hand and listened as the others erupted in hushed cheers. Law was certain if Lami wanted to, she could lead a small army through negotiation alone. He looked to Margaret who merely made a locking motion around her lips, her loyalty to the young princess unwavering even now.

“Fine. But if he does ANYTHING.” Law emphasized his sentence with a pointed stare at Luffy, “He’s gone. Okay?”

Lami was already at her feet when she heard the first sentence, hugging Law tightly and melting away whatever semblance of resistance he had left. All he could hope for was that she didn’t see through his empty threat as Luffy watched from the bed. A moment of silence passed before Margaret ushered the teen out.

Law gave a few lazy pats to his sisters back, his eyes locked on Luffy before the new employee disappeared behind the door. She was right. Tonight was different than most of the parties they attended.

He had yet to figure out if he was having fun.

**Author's Note:**

> Aaah. Very long first chapter but I wanted to flesh out a lot of plot in this one. The other chapters should hopefully have less things going on at least (no promises about the length haha). 
> 
> Thanks to anyone for reading, commenting, kudos and the like.


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